Adjustable container punch for vents and spout openings



March 28, 1950 2,501,817

- C. E. JAEGER ADJUSTABLE CONTAINER PUNCH FOR VENTS AND SPOUT OPENINGSFiled March 30, 1949 1. a-z u- :0

a24- slain) flse 40 3s Fig.5. :6 Fig.6.

IN VEN TOR.

.BY (21 1:1145?- Jug er Fig. 4.

Patented Mar. 28, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 ADJUSTABLECONTAINER PUNCH FOR VENTS AND SPOUT OPENINGS v Charles EQJaegenBronx, N.Y.

Application March 30, 1949, Serial N0. 84,376

My-inventionrelates-to a device, more especially intended for domesticuse, which is adapted to be used with liquid containing cans,- such ascondensed milk and the like. More specifically stated, the inventionrelates to a new and improved adjustable can and container puncher forvents and triangular spout openings.

The general object of the invention is to provide an improved apparatusfor making a pouring opening and a vent opening in a can such as a milkcan, or in any other container or can for liquid or granular material. I

. A further object of the invention is toprovide a can piercingapparatus including a piercing member normally held spaced from thecanand movable to piercethe can after the piercing member has moved througha predetermined distance. Still another object of the present inventionis the provisionof a device of the character described which isadjustable, so that it can be used for containers and cans of all sizes,shapes, and diameters, for cans and the like which are much smaller thanthe normal cans as well as for large oneor two-gallon cans and the like.

Yet a further object of the present invention is the provision of adevice of the character described which is simple and handy inoperation, which is light in weight and can be manufactured and sold ata relatively small cost, but which is also durable, sturdy and welladaptedfor withstanding the rough usage to which devices of this typefrequently are subjected.

Still a further object of the present invention is the provision of adevice of the character-described which will punch a pouring openingthat has the shape of a triangular spout which per mits a completedraining or use of the can contents without permitting improper escapeor leakage and the like.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details ofconstruction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully describedand pointed out in the claim, it being understood that changes may bemade in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing fromthe spirit of the invention as claimed.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred forms of the invention havebeen shown.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a preferred embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1;

2 Claims. (01. 30-1-6) Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view;

- Fig. 4 is a top plan view of a can with holes;

Fig. 5 .a detailed fractional view of a puncher;

and, i

Fig. 6 is a detailed fractional side view of the puncher of Fig. 5.

Similarreference characters refer to similar parts throughout theseveral views.

In the drawing the numeral 2 denotes a longitudinal plate of metal or ofany other suitable material, which is provided with a longitudinalstepped slot 4 and with a threaded aperture 6 in its non-slottedportion. A pair of pins 8 are extended from the lower side of thenon-slotted end portion of said plate. A tubular base 10, which isprovided with a collar portion I 2 and an externally threaded lower endportion I4, is attached to the plate 2 by screwing its portion l4 intothe aperture 6. The bore of the base in has a wide lower portion l6 anda reduced up.- per portion l8. A piercing shaft 20 is slidably extendedthrough the base I 0 and is non-rotatable therein. The shaft 20preferably is provided with a partially flattened section 22, and a setscrew 24, or a pin or the like, engages said section 22 for preventing arotation of the shaft 20 relative to the base 10. A puncher 26, whichmay be made as a unit with the shaft 20 or which may be secured theretoby any suitable means, is slidable in the lower bore portion l6 of thebase ID. The pointed section of the puncher 26 is cut in five triangularfacets 28, 30', 32, and 34. There are two small facets 32, one of whichis between the facets 30 and 34, and the other facet 32'is between thefacets 28 and 34, as may be seen in Fig. 3. The facets 28, 30 and 34 areof equal size while the facets 32 are so small that the punch opening 38in the can 40, produced by the punch 26, is substantially triangular(Fig. 4). The facets 28 and 30, which preferably are of the samedimensions are angularly joined to each other at the edge 36 whichpreferably is in alignmentwith the longitudinal axis of the plate 2 andwhich is directed toward the non-slotted extremity of the plate 2. Thefacet 34 preferably is right-angularly disposed to the edge 36 (incross-section), so that a triangular spout opening 38 can be punched ina can 40. This spout opening 38 permits a clean pouring in substantiallythe same manner as if the can 40 were provided with a spout and willprevent an escape or leakage or a running down on the outer side of thecan of the liquid poured out from the can. To the upper end of the shaft20 there is secured punched I Letters Patent is:

a handle or knob 42, and a, spring 44 is interposed between the knob 42and the upper end of the base [0. A block 45, which has the shape of aninverted T in cross-section (Fig. 2), is slidable in the stepped slot 4of the plate 2, and has extending from its upper portion a tubularportion 48, whose lower section is provided with an external thread 48.A bore, whose lower portion 50 is wider than its upper portion 52,extends through the block 45 and the tubular portion 46, and a puncher54 is slidable in the bore portion 50. A shaft 56 is made as a unitwith, or secured to. the puncher 54 and is extended through the boreportion 52. A handle or a knob 58 is secured to the upper end of theshaft 55, and a washer member 60 as well as a spring 62 is interposedbetween the knob 58 and a nut member 64 that is screwed upon theexternally threaded section 48 of the tubular portion 46. A pair of pins58 are extended from the lower side of the block 45 beyond the plate 2.

The pins 8 and 66 are adapted for laterally engaging the upper endportion of a can, and said first puncher 26 is adapted for punching atriangular spout opening in the top of a can, while said puncher 54 isadapted for punching a vent hole 68 in the can, when the knobs 42 and 58are depressed as is indicated in dash-and-dotted lines in Fig. 1. Sincethe block 45 is slidable on the plate 2, the device can be adjustedeasily and quickly for containers and cans of all sizes, shapes,

and diameters, for cans and the like which are much smaller than thenormal cans as well as for large oneor two-gallon cans and the like.After adjustment the nut member can be tightened, so that the block 45can no'longer be moved relatively to the plate 2 and will remain in theproperly adjusted position until the nut member 64 is loosened.

Since certain changes may be made in the above article and differentembodiments of the invention could be made without departing from thescope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the abovedescription or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted asillustrative and not in a limiting sense.

vention which as a matter of language might be said to falltherebetween.

Having thus fully described my said invention, what I claim as new anddesire to secure by l. The combination, in an adjustable can puncher fora vent hole and a triangular spout opening, of a longitudinal plateprovided with a longitudinal slot which extends over the major portionof said plate, with a pair of reciprocating piercing members each ofwhich has a base with a stem thereon whose pointed lower end extendsthrough said plate and one of said piercing members being stationarywhile the other is movable along the slot of said plate, and a nutmember screwed upon the base of said movable piercing member and beingadapted for retaining the movable piercing member in a predeterminedposition on said plate.

2. An adjustable can puncher for vents arid triangular spout openingscomprising a long tudinal partially slotted plate whose non-slottedportion is provided with a threaded aperture, a first pair of pins beingextended from the lower side of the non-slotted end portion of saidplate, a tubular base extending from the upper side of said plate havingits lower extremity screwed into the threaded aperture of said plate, afirst reciprocating piercing member being non-rotatably extended throughsaid tubular base and having a pointed lower end portion whose surfaceis cut in triangular facets, a perforated block being slidable in theslotted portion of said plate and having an externally threaded tubularportion which extends upwardly through the slotted portion of saidplate, a second reciprocating piercing member being extended throughsaid block, a nut member screwed upon that section of said tubular blockportion which protrudes beyond the upper side of said plate, and asecond pair of pins being extended from the lower side of said blockthrough the slotted portion of said plate, said pairs of pins beingadapted for laterally engaging the upper end portion of a can, and saidfirst piercing member being adapted for punching a triangular spoutopening in the top of a can, while said second piercing member isadapted for punching a vent hole in the top of a can.

CHARLES E. JAEGER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Kershenstein July 15, 1941

